Nasai Teriyaki at UW
4305 University Way N E, Seattle, WA, 98105
Nasai Teriyaki at UW Menu
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Address :
4305 University Way N E
Seattle, WA, 98105 - Phone (206) 632-3572
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
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Alex E.
My best pal and I spent a great deal of time in high school exploring the various teriyaki establishments in NE Seattle, and over 10 years later, Nasai is still our restaurant of choice. We pretty much order the same thing every single time. The Nasai Special: chicken teriyaki, rice, salad and gyoza w/ a can of soda. The price point is reasonable, and the service is the fastest that we ever encountered in our teriyaki hunt. Should this make me concerned? Maybe.. but, I instead of asking questions I just appreciate the hot plate of teriyaki that typically arrives within 5 minutes of ordering. As a previous Yelper mentioned... the salad dressing could maybe be crack dressing. It is so simple, yet so amazing (and practically addictive). I have done a lot of research into the origins/ingredients of this dressing and it is one of Seattle's best kept secrets. I am a bit less traditional with my teriyaki consumption, I like to mix the salad, rice, chicken and teriyaki sauce... it really is an incredible combination of flavors. The gyoza is crispy and the dipping sauce is sweet, salty and delicious. Do not come to Nasai expecting a super fine dining experience, but do come to Nasai to expect superb Seattle-style teriyaki... it's some of the best around.
(4)Jeanny M.
My past review deserves an update. Nasai continues to be consistently tasty and awesome. The price 'hike' is not that big a leap, I'm not sure why I was so fixated on it 5 years ago, but it's a very filling lunch for around $8. Their salad dressing still amazes at how tasty it is. It's like crack dressing or something. I should ask them about it next time I visit!
(4)Kevin W.
I have a friend who loves this place and frequently ate lunch here back in college. I decided to give this place a try for that reason and also because it's one of the few remaining restaurants on the Ave that I have not reviewed yet. This is your average ordinary teriyaki joint and nothing more. Really, the only unusual thing here is how they have license plates from a bunch of different states hanging on the walls, and even that's not too unusual. I ordered the beef + pork combo for $11.25. They were pretty quick with service as this dish only took seven minutes to arrive. And surely enough, there was beef, there was pork, there was salad, and there was white rice. Can you say most generic teriyaki ever? I wanted to order something substantive because I wanted to be full, but even that couldn't happen here. I don't know why everybody is saying the portions are large when mine were just about normal. I took a picture so you can see, and yes, I was still left feeling a little hungry after my lunch here. $12.37 after tax would be great for a cheap restaurant if they made me full. Unfortunately, they didn't, so I'm going to have to pass them up next time. There are so many better options on the Ave that it's senseless to limit yourself to just one.
(3)Hanley B.
This is a regular lunch spot for some classmates and myself. It's just a couple blocks from the NW corner of campus (where our building is) and is reasonably priced. It's not as good as another place, but it's closer so it definitely fits the bill. The food is always clean and freshly made. I obviously come regularly so I clearly don't have any complaints. Three stars is not a bad review. It simply means that the food is good and the price is fair and you get exactly what you pay for, which is a good thing. If people were looking for a quick lunch, I'd send them here.
(3)Ali D.
Claims to be the "Best Teriyaki in Seattle." I'm not sure if it's the BEST and I am also under the belief that most teriyaki tastes pretty much the same anywhere you try it. That being said, I do appreciate the quality of the meat Nasai serves, the generous portions, cheap prices and crispy gyozas! Stop in for a Nasai Special: $6.99 for a hefty plate of steamed white rice, side salad, chicken teriyaki, gyozas and a drink! Best deal on The Ave by far.
(4)Erin W.
Good food, good prices, nice location. The food was good (not bad, not great) and the prices were good too (again, not bad, not great). We ordered two lunch specials - small salad, rice, chicken teriyaki and deep fried gyoza (potstickers for the unitiatiated) and a can of soda. They were about $7.50 each. Staff was courteous and the food came fast. The place was undecorated and clean. Small tables. Perfect for two, but not more than four.
(3)Samantha G.
Nasai Teriyaki is another place my office orders food from when we're too lazy to pack our own lunch. After ordering lunch here twice, I am not a fan of this place. My first try of this place, I ordered one of their specials, which was bulgogi. It was terrible. The meat was dry and tasted too sweet. The second (and last) time I ordered I went with their chicken katsu and I was not lucky with that dish. The chicken was very tough and dry, which made eating not an enjoyable experience. There are so many better dining options on the ave so think twice before buying food here.
(1)Jane A.
FOR THE LOVE OF CHEAP TERIYAKI (4 stars) Best meal when your on a UW student budget - FOOD, fair - PRICES, affordable - SERVICE, good - AMBIANCE, like any other t-joint Back in them college days I'd eat here often. It wasn't the best teriyaki but it was the most affordable. TERIYAKI CHICKEN MEAL - side salad, rice, lots of chicken, and sometimes an orange slice. They do drench the chicken with too much sauce but you can always ask for it on the side.
(4)Wayne C.
Very convenient for UW students, this great restaurant is on the Ave, just across the UW Bookstore. The outside of the restaurant looks rather small and dull, but all the people often sit inside... away from sight, so dont be scared to walk in! I usually get the special which is a great deal and even includes a can of your choice of drink! The service here is also quite good, and they offer not only teriyaki, but also yakisoba AMD other Japanese food. Overall, I highly reccomend Nasai Teriyaki if you are looking to have teriyaki on the Ave.
(4)Krista S.
I used to eat Nasai at least twice a month as I work at the UW. I always order the gyoza plate with no salad (therefore 2 sides of rice). The gyoza was delicious and made a great lunch for the next day as well. However, the last 2 times I have eaten at Nasai (the last being Thursday 10/2/14) I have found dead fruit flies in my rice. The first time it was 1 in 1 of the sides of rice. Most recently there was a fruit fly in each of my sides. I stopped eating immediately and will not be going back. I would recommend you check your rice every time you eat here.
(1)Jean P.
I used to love this place; however it seems to be going downhill. The price is still good. However, the portion has gotten smaller and it doesn't taste as good.
(3)Laura M.
Nasai has been our Ave go-to teriyaki spot. This is basically a carry-over from our college food days! Haha! The food is A-OK! Service is great! Pretty clean for the Ave. We usually get the Nasai special with chicken teriyaki, gyoza, and salad. My major issue with Nasai is that prices have gone up about $2 per entree since we first started going there. The most recent price jump placed Nasai officially in my "not worth it" category. Additionally they got rid of all of their interesting soda options.
(3)Rafael Z.
Teriyaki was good but I feel it's a tad over priced for what you get. But I would def come here again if I was looking for teriyaki in the area.
(3)Louise K.
Best chicken katsu in town. SO GOOD. I love the honey sauce thingy that they serve with katsu. Great service as well. I think I come here every two weeks.
(5)Alan-Michael A.
Best chicken teriyaki I have had in a long time. While it isn't the cheapest place one the Ave, it has good portion sizes and great food from what I had. The service was great and fast too. This will probably by my new regular teriyaki spot.
(4)Eric S.
Cheap, good, I usually just get the special (gyoza, rice, salad, chicken) and you get a free can soda too. Good service, large space which I like since a lot of other places lack it. My go to teriyaki at UW.
(4)Amanda S.
I've been eating here for years. The food is always good, service is fast and courteous and I can sit and eat with a group of friends, or by myself with a book. Get the teriyaki chicken or beef with gyoza!
(5)Meghan E.
My first trip to Nasai was in December of 1994, when we ventured over to escape the tragic cafeteria at McMahon Hall. This is still my go-to teriyaki place. I've ordered the Nasai special for 20 years, and you should too: grilled chicken in a thick sweet-salty sauce, giant scoop of rice, crispy gyoza, and iceberg lettuce with a tooth-achingly sweet dressing. I spent five years in Ann Arbor dreaming of Nasai, and so can you.
(4)MJ P.
i like and eat a lot of teriyaki and other teriyaki-related foods such as chicken katsu, gyoza, cheap unhealthy teriyaki salads, yakisobas...you name it. this is the best place to go for all those things and more around the UW area. there are about 2~3 other teriyaki places in University District BUT this place is the cleanest, friendliest, tastiest and also has a lot of space and nice and quiet ambience (advertising posters that are up to date for local events!) unlike all the other bustling and loud, dirty ones. I recommend the bulgogi beef, chicken teriyaki, chicken yakisoba. *their salad dressing is the typical sweet japanese kind, so bad for you but good :)
(5)Katie O.
Fantastic teriyaki and gyoza, and eating in with the nice ambience, friendly enough service and lovely tea is nice too. Simple fare but lovely and practically perfect flavored. Thanks so much!
(5)Inna B.
This is one of my favorite teriyaki spots on the Ave! Their servings are large, the prices are low enough, and the chicken teriyaki is pretty good. Recently I learned that I can ask for more salad and less rice with my chicken (without getting a confused look), which I think is a neat idea. I don't need or really want a big serving of rice... Co-workers usually prefer to get their food to go, but I occasionally like to grab some free tea and eat there. They tend to have a copy of the UW student newspaper laying around, so I usually read that while I wait. In general it's an okay (3-star) spot, but it's the U-District and it's better than some other near-by teriyaki spots I've tried, so four stars seem more... accurate.
(4)Danny G.
Been coming here for 10+ years. First discovered the place while in college and never found anything better elsewhere. Still the best spicy chicken teriyaki around! Best part is that nothing has changed over the years.
(5)Sean C.
I LOVE CHICKEN TERIYAKI AND THIS IS THE CHEAPEST AND MOST DELICIOUS CHICKEN TERIYAKI I HAVE FOUND TO DATE IN SEATTLE. YUM. omg. My new position is in the University District AND I HAVE FOUND MY HOME. Not to brag, but the little ADORABLE Chinese lady at the register gives you a PUNCH CARD. Heck yes! I am all about the incentive in this scenario. For like $6, you get a tremendous amount of food! And it's perfectly quick. I order, and I wander to a table and get a cup of free green tea and a napkin and my food is ready by the time I get back to my table. This has happened to me three times now. I'm hoooked!
(5)Pauline T.
This spot is easy to miss and I found this randomly when with my family. It's a great place for some good ol' teriyaki. I found that their teriyaki sauce, compared to others, is a little on the sweeter side rather than salty but it doesn't mean it's less yummy! Can I first say that their gyoza is uh-may-zing?!?! Best I've had yet in my life. Highly recommend having these little flavorful niblets in your stomach asap. There was also a light brown sauce that came with the combo plate- I had no clue what was in it but it tasted great! The nasai special is very good- for $6.75 you get chicken teriyaki, rice, salad, 4 gyoza pieces and a soda. I ate the spicy chicken (which to my spice level was barely registered, but still good) and I also tried the beef teriyaki too. So far, nothing had disappointed me!
(4)Alvin L.
idk why others are so devoted to Nasai, but I don't see much comparison with other places on the Ave. A bit more pricey, and flavor didn't stand out. I'd rather grab a bento, Hawaiian, or sit down for pho. Maybe its just me, but teriyaki just seems so bland after Nasai.
(2)Chenguang W.
Their spicy chicken teriyaki is horrible.
(2)Diane C.
Disclaimer: This review is only for the spicy chicken with steamed rice. Work colleagues recommended Nasai to me, so I was really hopeful. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. I ordered my favorite teriyaki order: spicy teriyaki with steamed white rice. I didn't notice the had an all white meat option or I would have definitely gone with that. The spicy sauce was great and the steamed rice was well done, but the "chicken" was mostly fat. It was DIS-gusting. I ate two pieces and ditched it. The good thing was that prices were reasonable and the portion of rice was huge! The friend ordered vegetable fried rice and it looked awesome. The portion was HUGE. This place is totally dive-y, but I like all the movie posters they have. Makes things interesting. The search for my go to teriyaki place continues. :(
(2)Maria G.
I like this place!! They have daily specials in addition to regular menu so definitely try those out! I like their creative interior designs! This place is fairly hidden on the ave! Its teriyaki is definitely better than some other ones! I would definitely come back here!!!
(4)Taka S.
Nice staff. I like the atmosphere. I chose "Teriyaki Chicken". I'm afraid, but this is not a Teriyaki chicken. This is a BBQ chicken with sweet source. I think most of people even the restaurants don't know what Teriyaki's "Teri" means.
(3)Julie G.
I'm glad this place exists, it helped keep my sweetie alive when he was in grad school!! I enjoy the teriyaki here because they offer an all-white-meat option (not a fan or dark meat), as well as brown rice. The salad with it's sweet sweet dressing is always a tooth-rotting pleasure. I also like all the posters advertising local entertainment!
(3)Candice F.
I work in the U-District, and I used to order teriyaki from here regularly for nearly ten years. The Nasai Special was really popular among my co-workers, and I liked the beef teriyaki and hot chicken with stir fried vegetables. They used to allow us to skip the soda with the Nasai Sp and reduce the price, but they no longer allow that. I used to really like this place for their teriyaki (their Korean food is not good at all), but now their meat is overcooked and dry, they give smaller portions at a higher price, and the lady at the front is just not very friendly. Even though Nasai is close to my work, I'd much rather walk up to Teriyaki 1st.
(1)Jess W.
Decent. But I've only sampled two dishes, so if I'm more impressed in the future, I'll let you guys know. The food is good, it's just not extraordinary. The katsu was a bit too crispy - and bland, if you don't add any sauce - for my liking, and the teriyaki tasted like good quality barbecue chicken. Which is good and all, but that's not exactly what I expect when I order teriyaki. The atmosphere is really pleasant here, though. It's a comfortable, quiet sort of place that's great to sit in and chat a bit. Service was fine, food didn't take too long to arrive, and the value for the price was decent. Just wish I was a tad bit more impressed by the food.
(3)Michael N.
I had their Special with the Garlic sauce. The garlic sauce was a very nice touch to the dish. The teriyaki sauce on the Special is very different from other teriyaki places I've been to. It's sweeter and has a touch of BBQ flavor to it. The chicken was delicious. Juicy, tender and properly cooked. What more can I say? Oh, did i mention you get 4 golden gyoza with your meal? The textures and contrasts in this Special work perfectly together. The salad: you can choose to replace it with another scoop of rice, but I strongly suggest you keep the salad. Their dressing is sweet as well which compliments the tender chicken. Finding this place was a joy. I suggest you plan your next lunch here.
(4)Boone F.
Definitely isn't a great place for basic chicken teriyaki... I would recommend ordering the chicken breast or something more expensive over the basic chicken order because honestly this place pre cooks all of their lower priced food. I have worked in the food industry for many years and the fastest chicken can be cooked for this type of application is around 3 minutes. Within 60 seconds to maybe 2 mins of your order being placed your order is handed to you. Some may think this is excellent because its fast, but honestly I don't want 3/4 cooked chicken that's then re heated to serve to the customer. They do offer a large pump with teriyaki sauce and lots of sriracha hot sauce which I love; at least they aren't stingy on these areas! So if you are looking for a decent experience for teriyaki in the UD, its worth a trip by to see. The place was recently sold and placed under new ownership, so they redid the interior a bit which looks nicer than before. Hope this helps you yelpers out there :) Peace!
(3)Terrill V.
My favorite teriyaki joint on the Ave. Been going here since my freshman year of college. Easy to miss and layout is old and skeptical but service is fast, menu is big, people are nice, price is ok, and food is delicious.
(4)Leonard P.
Every time I look at you, I can't understand...no, wait, I started this out wrong. Every time I pass this place, which is often because I live in the U District, I think it says "Nasty Teriyaki". Well, here's the good news: it's not nasty teriyaki! The bad news is that it's not particularly nice teriyaki either, but it's reliable, and it's better than a lot of the other teriyaki dives on the Ave, no names no pack drill. The interior has a decent layout and isn't as gunky as it could be; the service is okay but not great; the food is average but not unsavory; the priced won't break you but it's not college-student pocket-change cheap, either. Nasai Teriyaki, like this review, is just one big qualifier, and who wants to eat a qualifier for dinner? I guess I do, since I've been there several times. Look, let's just forget I even posted this review.
(3)Peter A.
I am not sure why I am drawn to neon Teriyaki signs like a moth to a flame. Maybe it is because I always loved going to my neighborhood bodega in New York. Maybe it is because they seem to be all over the University District and the quickest lunch. Regardless of the reason, Nasai on the Ave. serves up some delicious teriyaki and the best chicken yakisoba in the U-District. It is a strange restaurant set-up because when you walk through the front door you don't see the cash register or any staff. They are tucked around the corner of a long narrow hallway/dining room. It took me a second to figure out what was going on. But once I discovered where to order, all my lunchtime chicken yakisoba dreams came true. The prices are very competitive and the portions are large. If you are on the Ave and looking for a quick lunch or take-out, Nasai will hit the spot.
(4)Rodney L.
Nasai Teriyaki is an Ave institution if there ever was such a thing. I do not give five stars lightly but Nasai has earned every last one of them. Their front door and register area is adorned with numerous accolades from news media outlets and other informally regulatory sources. I personally find the quality and quantity of food slightly exceeds my expectations for the amount of money paid. I am always surprised at how the food gets brought to out before we've had a chance to sip our complimentary tea. The chicken teriyaki is juicy and tender and the thin-sliced beef is heavenly. The teriyaki sauce is thick and sweet. I love gyozas and these are brown, crunchy, and served with a light ginger dipping sauce. Each entree comes with a large scoop of rice and a side salad. I always dig into the salad first with its sweet, milky dressing, to pave the way for the more substantial meats to follow. I love that any day of the week I can come here and get a great meal for seven dollars and some change. I give them kudos as well for their contribution to community cohesion by allowing people to put posters about local events on their otherwise empty walls. It also gives you something interesting to look at while you eat. While the vast majority of reviews here are positive I am perplexed by the tiny number of negative ones. I personally have never had a bad experience here, and as if my word isn't good enough before you put too much stock in a couple bad reports consider that they must be doing something right for the longevity they have enjoyed.
(5)Nath A.
I eat a lot of lunches on the Ave, and an embarrassing fraction of those lunches are teriyaki. Yet, somehow, I never got around to trying this place until today. Nasai has a small, inconspicuous storefront, tucked away between two small, inconspicuous shops selling artsy things. I think it was the daily specials board that finally got me to stop by. Today's special was the 'hot chicken', but I ended up getting the spicy chicken instead. Yep, they were two different dishes. I didn't really have a preference, though. Do I prefer hot food or spicy food? Hell if I know. I went in at probably the quietest time of the day -- all the late lunchers had left, and the early diners weren't there yet. I walked through an abandoned corridor lined with abandoned tables, and found an abandoned register around the corner. (Yes, the abandoned corner.) It would have been creepy in an I-Am-Legendish way if it weren't for the loud Beatles music playing. (One can't be creeped out while listening to 'Paperback Writer'. Try it.) I rang the bell and placed my takeout order, and took a seat. It was a surprisingly roomy place, given the small storefront. The whole restaurant was basically one wide corridor going all the way through the building, opening into the alley behind. Most other restaurants on the Ave would have tried to fit twice as many chairs into the same amount of space. The food arrived pretty quickly. It wasn't quite the usual spicy teriyaki chicken; it was a little more tender, and served in sauce, as if it had been braised rather than grilled. It was good; slightly Chinese-tasting. Came with the standard piles of rice and iceburg lettuce. In addition to the usual teriyaki options, Nasai has a small Mandarin section (kung pao etc.), yakisoba, and fried rice.
(4)Drew M.
This is MY place for teriyaki in Seattle. Don't be distracted by the look, feel or crowd of this place, they do teriyaki better than anyone else in Seattle. And not all the "Nasai's" in Seattle are the same...at least in my experiences. The menu has grown over the years (chicken wings!), but I stick with a couple dishes: The Nasai Special (chicken teriyaki and gyoza), Spicy Chicken, Chicken/Beef combo and my favorite, as I like to call it, the Drew Special (it's not on the menu), which is a combo of chicken teriyaki and chicken katsu. Nasai's sauce makes the meal, it's not too heavy or overly soy saucy, it's a good balance. Add some Sriaracha if you want to spice it up a bit. Even the basic side salads are fresh and tasty. Portions are substantial. You definitely leave full and satisfied, especially for the price. Maybe even some leftovers for lunch/dinner.
(5)M C.
Been there a few times before, and found the place decent in terms of food quality, price and setting. Was there today for lunch with a friend and we ordered chicken and spicy chicken teriyaki. Both dishes were awful with the chicken tasting stale and tough. In fact while we were trying to eat our food, another patron brought his food up to the counter and left it there saying, "the chicken in this is not good, old"..I wish we had the courage to do the same. I don't know, but something seem to have changed about this place as the other more recent reviews on Yelp attest.
(1)Scott S.
I live in Northern California and have been coming in here for 15 years when I work at UW Med Center or Childrens Seattle on business. I have tried other teriyaki establishments throughout the Seattle and Tacoma area, Nasai Teriyaki has consistently been the best flavor of teriyaki I have ever tried. Wish we had a teriyaki place like this in the Bay Area. I highly recommend this place for it's good and inexpensive teriyaki meals ***** Cheers
(5)Carol P.
I tend to get stuck on one kind of food, so I'm not really able to review a restaurant so much as I am the particular dish they produce that I like. At Nasai Teriyaki, I can speak to their (massive serving of) chicken fried rice, the gyoza and, sometimes, the yakisoba. I suspect that someone with a cultured palate would reject the fried rice as being incredibly heavy. It really is and I really like it that way. The gyoza and yakisoba are both as good as anything else of their kind that I've ever found but it's the fried rice that I go back for. I also like the restaurant, for no reason I can explain, for its complete absence of decor. They have movie posters on the wall. That's what they have. Movie posters, tables and chairs, a big pile of the U-Dub newspaper, and generous quantities of inexpensive food delivered to your table quickly, with a smile. Maybe I like it because it's plain at a glance that nobody will ever patronize it for any reason beyond the tastiness of the food and its cost. It's a hole in the wall. There's no ambiance whatsoever. You can be dead certain that foodies and trend followers won't be there! One quibble: isn't soy sauce more or less standard issue? Not here. The bag containing the takeout is always nicely tied up, leaving the discovery that there's no soy sauce in it to come later.
(4)Michelle F.
Their beef teriyaki is very thin sliced, like hot pot beef, and done on a griddle top, I think. Very good, though a bit too sweet for my liking. Friendly, simple teriyaki. Do like.
(4)Rose S.
ROACHES!!! I ate here about a month ago and I haven't been able to eat at a restaurant since, and especially not Teriyaki! While I ate, 2 roaches ran from my plate! 2!!! The food was good, so I wasn't paying much attention while I ate and talked on the phone. Then one roach went running from underneath the side of my plate. I just stared, I have not seen a roach in 20 years. It ran off, and I checked all over hoping to see a place that it could have come from besides my plate. Then another one after I had just lifted and checked underneath, came running from my plate. I told the waitress, who was a cute Asian girl that didn't speak good English, She checked around my table and found the roaches and squished them with a napkin. Then with a quick "sorry," just went about her business! I wanted to go throw up and rinse my mouth with bleach. I've been meaning to call the health department, and as soon as I get a break from school, I will.
(1)James P.
My teriyaki joint vocab is deplorably limited, but I love this place. I always order the Nasai Special. Bummer that brown rice is extra, but oh well. I though the spicy chicken was ok, but very...harsh, for lack of a better word. I don't have a problem with spiciness, but something about it definitely was offputting.
(5)Adriana R.
Affordable, tasty, and fast!
(4)Kyoni R.
This is one of my favorite teriyaki on the ave. The combo plates chicken/beef is a good deal at $6.00. Yakisoba is greasy. Great for after drinking. The servings are large and is good for two meals. You order at the counter and they bring your plate to your table. This place is never crowded. It's a hole in the wall but worth the trip. If your in the area and need a good deal. This is a place to try.
(4)Samantha C.
For the love of God do not eat here! I got hellacious food poisioning from the shrimp. The place is filthy and there are flies everywhere. I called to tell them I got sick and the lady doesn't understand English. Maybe she doesn't understand food handling standards either. Unless you want to be hunched over a toilet a few hours after eating here, best stay far away. *UPDATE* This place got shut down for a bit last week for multiple serious health code violations. My suspicions have been confirmed. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.
(1)Mary C.
Haven't been in for about 10 years. Used to come here during college. The price is still decent, especially for the Nasai special (chicken teriyaki, gyoza, plus soda) for $6.75. There is plenty of food and pretty decent quality. Waitress was super friend and nice. The only negative thing is the cleanliness of the place.. All the table was black (so are the plates). We sat down at a table and realize the table still have sauce? food on it. But you can't really tell because it is black. :(
(4)Ashley D.
I was craving some beef bulgogi so I decided the next place I saw that had it I would stop at, since I haven't found an amazing place with bulgogi on the ave yet. The next place I happened to see was Nasai and they even had a 'specials' sign out front with bulgogi on it. I went inside and ordered the bulgogi which was higher than the specials sign said, but when I tried to ask the girl about it she didn't speak English very well. Though what confused me was I saw the girl inputted $7.40, but then the total was $8.36. That's definitely much higher than tax should be, but I was sick and hungry and didn't think of it at the time. The food was in an compostable to go container which I do give them props for, especially in the U-District which is very eco-friendly (most of the time). However, the bulgogi was definitely NOT bulgogi. It was tough beef in what tasted like a sickly sweet teriyaki sauce. Ugh. Maybe I should have taken it as a sign to turn around when I saw only two people in here during the busy lunch hour. Oh well, better luck next time I guess.
(1)Brian K.
Solid teriyaki. Good price range specially if your a student. Can get away with spending 6-7 dollars. Cant go wrong
(4)Justin K.
For my ill-gotten money, the best teriyaki joint on the Ave. Most folks will point you to Tokyo Garden, where they will give you ginormous portions of okay teriyaki. Nasai gives you a *slightly* smaller portion that is about 10x better in taste. I can eat about half of Tokyo Garden's offering, but will devour Nasai's down to the last morsel of rice. The dark sauce is out-of-this-world (literally, it's alien complexion and mysterious sweet-tanginess can't be derived from any Earthly ingredients). Last I went, basic teriyaki cost 4.95 plus tax. Now that I live in San Francisco, that price seems even more otherworldly. Nasai for life.
(5)Brian P.
Teriyaki places in Seattle are like dry cleaners: unless you've had some horrible experience there, you just go to the closest one. That being said, there is still the question of where to go when you are on the Ave craving teriyaki and are faced with multiple acceptable options at once. The best places have something special to offer: Tokyo Garden is most inexpensive, Kyoto Garden is the tastiest, and University Teryiaki is the most brutally efficient. Thanks to a new face lift and some menu changes, Nasai Teriyaki is now also part of my "best places to get teryiaki in the U-district" list. I was initially compelled to give Nasai another try by the change in decor - a new much more pleasant paint job, cleaner floors, and a spiffier logo. Some more changes: a pared-down menu, nicer plates, and a new daily specials menu which is both especially tasty (see curry chicken Mondays and Bulgogi Wednesdays) and priced low enough to compete with even the suspiciously cheap Tokyo Garden. As a plus, the service is still quick, and the hot tea is still free. Nasai Teryiaki, we will be seeing more of each other.
(4)Sterling A.
Not good. Much better teriyaki can be found on The Ave, for a much better price.
(2)Eugene O.
I've been coming here for almost 10 years and have concluded that Nasai still has some of the best teriyaki in Seattle. The chicken, beef and pork always have a lot of flavor and aren't dried out (which is the number one problem with teriyaki joints in the area). Go for the chicken and beef or pork combo, and you'll be good to go. There's semi-table service, meaning that you'll place you're order at the counter and they'll bring it out to you and bus your table. Leave a tip if you're feeling generous. The overall decor and lighting is dim, and I decided that eating inside is not appropriate on nice days. So take your teriyaki to go when the sun is shining, and you'll be a happy camper.
(4)Henry L.
Best teriyaki in the university district. Many delicious dishes. They give you descent amounts of food that you order. Been there many times and its awesome. A good variety of movie posters past and present on the walls.
(5)Isha Z.
Delicious! This is one of my favorite places to eat on the Ave. Great portions and delicious food. Five bucks and some change gets you the best terriaki chicken ever. You can sit in and stare at all the movie posters or take it to go. Either way it'll come out of the kitchen faster than you can grab your utensils! My only beef with them is that they changed owners since I was a kid (yes, I've been eating there that long) so the taste and portions are slightly different. They use a different salad dressing and the terriaki sauce is slightly sweeter/BBQ tasting but I still think it's teh awesome, yo.
(4)Jeff K.
"There is lots and lots, that comes in this box." - Lamar Odom Damn, hungry again and no $5 box in sight. But this lunch did come with lots and lots. Whatever they did, as long as it wasn't completely chemical, the katsu was crisp. Definitely not soggy nor gross. Although, this was a $7 box, it did comes with lots and lots. No cheesy gordita crunch to munch and munch, but a lot of chicken katsu. Definitely worth it for a meal.
(3)Naurry K.
Mediocre college food at its best! Ah yes, I still recall the first time I entered the narrow dining room with the cash register near the trash and bathroom. The sickening sweet smell of American-style teriyaki wafting the air somehow suited the always-sticky-with-some-substance-that-won't-wipe-Âoff tables. The price, ambiance and food is perfectly suited for the "Ave". If you can't decide on a menu item, go for the special. It's always available contrary to its name and is so Nasai. (Don't forget the Sriracha sauce!)
(4)Amy C.
The first bite was delicious, but as the meal went on, the sauce (one chicken teriyaki, one beef plate) just got too sweet. I barely finished. It was a little overwhelming.
(3)Allie S.
What it takes to be a successful restaurant on the Ave: Step 1. Have large portions Step 2. Have low prices Step 3. ??? Step 4. Profit Nasai is successful, because it's been around as long as I can remember. It's a hole in the wall, the whole of which is a hall -- yes, keep walking, you'll get to the register eventually. Even "for here" orders are served in "to go" boxes -- they're biodegradable, too! And that's perfect, because you will need one -- the portions are huge! I also love the fact that they have sprouted brown rice for a small additional fee. When my friends and I aren't too lazy to go to the extra block and a half past UT for our cheap teriyaki fix... Nasai's where it's at!
(4)Stacy T.
Nasai is my favorite teriyaki join on the Ave. I dig their teriyaki sauce because it's not too sweet, and you can get brown rice if you want. Plus, the salad dressing is soo good! My boyfriend loves it for the chicken yakisoba, which is quite good too. I'm also a fan of the fried rice. Yes, they use a frozen veggie mix, but that's a good way to make sure all the veggies are the same size and will cook evenly. That's how I roll, anyway. I tried their curry the last time I was there, and it was good but not great. But the main reason for my review is to let everyone know they've updated their decor a bit. Much cleaner, a couple of mini flat screen TVs. Still haven't tried out the bathroom since the clean up. Anyone here brave enough to give us a report?
(4)Brian G.
Over the years, this has always been my least favorite Nasai location. Considering how the Redmond and Kirkland locations have made great improvements after letting their quality slip, I thought that perhaps, just perhaps, dear reader that the same may have occurred at the Nasai location on the Ave. The answer is no. It's not horrible teriyaki but it's still too pricey for a dinner that makes me go "meh". The servings are small, the chicken is poorly cut and was covered with too much sauce; oddly enough, there typically isn't enough sauce! It would be nice and less awkward if there was someone at the counter; I was in a line with two other people waiting patiently for someone to come take our order for over two minutes.
(2)Jim G.
Even after 10 years, this is still my favorite restaurant on the Ave and pretty much what I compare all teriyaki places to. I always get the 'nasai special' which is chicken teryiaki, gyoza, salad, and drink for about 6 or 7 dollars. I've honestly never ordered anything else. I'm sad that they stopped putting up so many local event posters and put up random license plates instead, but its not a big deal. On a rainy cold day, this teryiyaki, and the soft radio they play, will warm you up!
(5)Sophia R.
The atmosphere is so horrendous and smelly I find it kitchy. It's a quirky little joint, Nasai Teriyaki, and it's well worth going. Excellent for take out, because you don't have to listen to 'Delilah' on Warm 106.9 while you eat and start at the stains in the carpet. I find though, that's it's kind of fun to eat in this place. The sauce on their teriyaki is to die for. And he portions are gigantic. You could have two meals with amount they give you.
(4)Rossana Y.
Whenever I go out to eat teriyaki, I would always save half of it and eat it later since most places serve large portions. When I ordered the spicy chicken here, there wasn't that much meat. UT usually serves twice as much meat for their teriyaki for about the same price. The chicken tasted like it was drenched in this spicy sauce that had a tangy flavor, kind of reminded me of buffalo wings. Weird. They also serve the food on styrofoam plates, which is not very environmentally friendly. The food wasn't too terrible, but I think I'll just stick with UT.
(3)Tiare G.
I went to Nasai based on an article in Seattle Metropolitan magazine. I tried the spicy chicken as many yelpers said it was delicious. It was not bad. I think as far as teryiaki goes I'm a traditionalist. I like a good chicken with a nice thick sauce. There was a lot of fatty dark meat in my spicy chicken. But I will go back and try the regular teryaki to see if it hits my taste buds better.
(3)Ku'uleimomi C.
Teriyaki is Japanese, not Chinese. But all the food here tastes Chinese to me. The fried rice had no oyster sauce/soy sauce flavoring, but a heaping of pepper on it and the kind of canned vegetables that you find in Cup-O-Noodle. The chowmein was decent, but very VERY oily, borderline greasy and the vegetables were cut so big they weren't well cooked. Gyoza was overcooked--probably fried instead of steamed/sauteed. NO vegetarian/fish options except the starch-canned veggie combo I mentioned. I must say, I felt let down especially considering the ratings on here.
(2)Wes W.
In a U-District landscape that's absolutely filled to the brim with teriyaki places, Nasai still stands out as a college student favorite. While other nearby locales may offer fancier selections or tastier arrangements, Nasai Teriyaki leverages its key strengths: fast, good, and cheap. And by fast, I mean fast. You order a chicken teriyaki to go, they give you one of those quaint plastic red number things. You turn around, spot an open table, and make your way to sit down. By the time you take off your bag and plop it down the server is bringing your chicken to you. Student dive? Perhaps. All I know is that I still have hankerings for the Nasai special on some chilly Seattle nights long after I've graduated and moved out of the U-District.
(4)Thyda S.
Ugh! How I wish I lived back in the U District for this. Seriously, I drove from Downtown back here for to go lunch one day. It is THAT good! (the Spicy Chicken is all I've ever had)
(4)Steffen K.
Thursday's hot chicken special is one of my favorites. One of the best deals in the university district.
(4)Carol L.
Ordered spicy chicken and gyoza. The gyoza was alright, but the chicken pieces were deep-fried, over-cooked, and gamey! Yuck! I think I'll be moving on to one of the other teriyaki places on the ave.
(1)Rachel J.
Always dependable Special. . every ...single...time...
(5)Brian R.
Nasai is my favorite teriyaki place on the ave and probably one of the best in the area. The prices are good and something about the food sets it apart from most other (nearly interchangeable) teriyaki places. Two thumbs up!
(4)Marshall B.
I really like their Teriyaki. The place is kinda small and a little on the dingy side but the good food and cheap chicken and gyoza special makes up for it.
(4)Delbert B.
I used to come here often, but haven't been here in awhile. I was in the neighborhood, decided to have my usual beef teriyaki to go, but when I got it, was suprised to see they put the beef in the salad container, while the main container had the rice and salad!!?? What the??? The portion still seemed the same, but I prefer the beef already next to the ice. Odd. BTW, the beef was kinda burned. Are they under new management? Still cheap price though.
(2)Helen N.
the nasai special came with teriyaki chicken, rice, gyoza, and a salad. i finished less than half of the plate, there was a lot of food (read above again), maybe it was because the food wasn't that yummy... you can get your own hot tea or water or extra sauce for free! yay!
(3)Paula R.
I can't get enough of this place. I've loved it more than life itself since I was 17. Their "daily special" is always the same (chicken teryaki and 4 gyozas) and it's always f-ing delicious. Always. And they're quick on the draw with getting your food to you.
(5)Ben J.
Good teriyaki. Pretty quick and fine prices.
(4)Brent A.
For me, this is the benchmark for what chicken teriyaki should taste like. Yes, the decor is a bit run down, but this is a place you go for the food, not the decor. If you want great (and quick!) chicken teriyaki, look no further. There are a few other Nasai teriyaki's in Seattle, but this is the first and best in my opinion.
(4)John H.
I'm sorry, but cool movie posters can't cover up shoddy carpet, dirty tables, and corny Christian music. Maybe the food could make up for it, but it doesn't. The gyoza tastes like it came out of the microwave, and the salad is iceburg lettuce and nothing more. I did feel the chicken was above average, but with Best of Bento and Tokyo Garden only a few steps away, I just don't see why you'd go here.
(2)Amanda W.
They have a sign up in Nasai saying that they've been open for over 10 years which is true because I've been going there for that long, but the menu is different than it used to be. There are a lot more Chinese-style dishes on the menu now. That being said, the person who thought of the "M3" dish is my new hero. It's a spicy chicken and veggie stir fry with GYOZA in it. YUM!!! Yes, it's wrong in so many ways, but gyoza is good and stir fry is good so let's break the rules and put 'em together. I saw on other reviews that people think the place is dingy. Eh - it doesn't seem any worse to me than 99% of the other places on the Ave. That being said, I usually get takeout.
(4)Lagwana E.
Yes, this is the best teriyaki on the Ave. I have tried all of them, and for me they win. Plus, they are really, really fast and the gyoza are nice. They always have an inexpensive special of chicken teriyaki and gyoza. But, I wish they wouldn't use styrofoam packaging, even for eating in. It is really environmentally irresponsible, or I would have given them five starts.
(4)